medical marijuana

In states all across the country, the days of pot prohibition are coming to an end. Today, critics say new regulations favor so-called the "Walmart weed" industry and put the squeeze on home growers.

Plus, Derrick Hamilton has never been to law school - but that hasn't stopped him from filing federal complaints against inhumane treatment of inmates, and helping others obtain hearings. He also fought the wrongful that put him in jail for 21 years. We'll talk with a jailhouse lawyer who was set up, but still believes in the power of the law.

After visiting the state, Donald Trump continues to stir up controversy for himself and for Republicans in downticket races, including Senator Kelly Ayotte. In the race for U.S. Senate, Governor Maggie Hassan lays out her goals for keeping New Hampshire and the country safe in a foreign policy address. And the state's fourth medical marijuana dispensary opens for business in Merrimack.

New Hampshire’s medical marijuana program finally got off the ground in April, with the opening of the state’s first cannabis treatment center. Three of the four state-licensed dispensaries are now operating, and more than 1,100 people with serious illnesses are approved to use the drug.

But many, if not most, of the New Hampshire residents who could potentially benefit from medical marijuana won’t be able to legally obtain it.

Less than a week after New Hampshire’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened in Plymouth, another is poised to open on Thursday in Dover.

The Department of Health and Human Services has officially certified Temescal Wellness, which was selected to operate two of the state's New Hampshire’s four medical marijuana dispensaries, to start serving patients at its Dover location. The company says it plans to open its doors at noon on Thursday.

By the time Sanctuary ATC opened its doors in Plymouth — around 11 a.m. Saturday morning — about a dozen people were already huddled around on the porch or hanging out in the parking lot outside, hoping to get in.

Right now, those new facilities still have to go through a few more rounds of inspections before they can open their doors and start serving patients. Once they do open, patients will only be able to visit one dispensary at a time. And for residents in the northernmost region of the state, the nearest dispensary could be at least two hours away.

Prosecutors have dropped some charges against a New Hampshire couple accused of growing marijuana in their home.

Sixty-five-year-old Robert Zdrada and his wife, 60-year-old Valerie Zdrada, were arrested in October after police say they found seven and a half pounds of marijuana and other items used to grow the plants indoors.

Even though medical marijuana is legal in many states across the country, it’s still a federal offense, and a recently expired directive prohibited Veterans Administration doctors from recommending the treatment to veterans.

Three out of four of New Hampshire's medical marijuana dispensaries are now approved to start cultivating cannabis.

Temescal Wellness just got approval from the Department of Health and Human Services to start growing marijuana. The Manchester company will operate two dispensaries, one in Dover and another in Lebanon. Their grow site will be in Manchester.

The New Hampshire Attorney General is advising the Department of Health and Human Services to start issuing medical marijuana ID cards to eligible patients. In theory, patients could soon access medical marijuana, even though they can't yet buy it legally in the state.

A judge has ruled the state can no longer stop an Alstead woman’s effort to get medical marijuana.

The legislature passed a medical marijuana law three years ago, but state-approved dispensaries are more than a year behind schedule.

Linda Horan was diagnosed with stage four terminal lung cancer this summer. Tuesday’s ruling out of Merrimack Superior Court means the state must issue Horan a registration card immediately, allowing her to access medical marijuana in Maine.

Just 23 people have applied for the state’s medical marijuana program since a pre-registration period opened Nov. 2. That's according to Department of Health and Human Services division director Mary Castelli, who spoke Friday at a meeting of the state’s Therapeutic Cannabis Advisory Council.

Dispensaries aren't set to open for several months, but DHHS offered people a chance to pre-register as a way to access medical marijuana as quickly as possible once the substance is available.

A little less than three dozen people showed up to a forum last night in Dover to discuss a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in town – but, for the most part, the crowd didn’t come to push back on the plans.

The therapeutic use of cannabis has been legal for about two years now, but the process of establishing cultivation centers, dispensaries, and ID cards is still underway. While many praise the state for its careful approach, others suffering from conditions they hope to treat with the drug are becoming impatient.

Sanctuary Alternative Treatment Center plans run its cannabis dispensary in Plymouth, and its cultivation center – where plants are grown and processed -- in Rochester. The cultivation center already complies with Rochester’s zoning ordinances, and does not need any further approval. Nevertheless, the Department of Health and Human Services held a public hearing there on Tuesday.

Sanctuary CFO Josh Weaver began the evening in a defensive stance, promising the site will be secure and inconspicuous.